What's That? Little Timmy has Fallen into a Well?
by iknowuknow
Summary: When Timmy heads to New York for a family reunion, no one expected the craziness that ensued. I can't really summarize, sorry. Same universe as Like a Really Bad Dream, about two years later.
1. The Wedding

For Jesse Wales

I know I should continue soemthing I've already started, but this is on my mind, so I'm going for it. I'm at a stalemate with the characters in my other works anyway.

By the way, I'm totally drawing on personal experience here. I just went to my aunt's wedding, and it was similar.

* * *

_Timothy Lassiter looked on with dismay. Considering the lack of successful marriages he had witnessed, no one could fault the boy for being cynical about this wedding. _

_Of course, they hadn't exactly gotten off to a great start..._

Hi, journal. This is weird for me... I'm Timothy, but you can call me Timmy. I'm 13, and a proud adopted kid. My dad, the tall man in the front of the shuttle, is my dad. His name is Carlton, and he's the Chief of Police at the Santa Barbara Police Department.

I don't really know why I'm introducing myself to you. You're just a book of paper, after all. Cattie told me to write like I'm talking to a friend, though, so that's what I'll do.

I've got brown hair, and I keep it combed nicely and parted down the center. That's how my dad wears his hair. He used to be a lot more uptight I hear, but my "Uncle" Shawn has loosened him up a lot.

Uncle Shawn is a fun-loving guy. I hear he used to be a lot different, though, too. Cattie - that's my best friend who gave you to me - is his daughter. When her mom/my ex-stepmom broke up with him and left Santa Barbara, it calmed him down a lot. It changed everyone. The old chief quit, and Uncle Shawn revealed that he's not psychic. Surprisingly, my dad didn't throw him in jail. It turns out he had known since about two years after he met him, but he had too much respect already by then to take the other man down.

I think it's odd that Uncle Shawn and my dad ever didn't get along. They, along with my Uncle Gus, are always hanging out nowadays.

Uncle Gus is my only actual uncle in California. He's married to my Aunt Lauren, and they have two kids. Rae is nine, and James is four. They're the ones making noise behind me.

Why are we headed to the Great Lakes, you may ask? Dad's step-sister is getting married at Lake Erie. The whole family is using it as an excuse for a family reunion. I echo Dad's sentiments; I don't understand why we have to fly across the country for some woman no one has seen in 10 years. By no one, I mean Dad and Aunt Lauren and my uncle called Victor.

I wish Cattie could have come. Dad says I should be happy my best friend/ ex-stepsister/"cousin" doesn't have to sit around a boring wedding. I still wish she were suffering with me.

I have to put you away so we can get through the airport.

Until then.

- Timmy

_He had already been to two weddings in his life, and they went well enough. That wasn't the point, though. This wedding seemed ridiculous. The groomsmen were wearing shorts! The groom's bright purple tux seemed entirely out of place, and Timmy would have taken his peircings out before getting married._

_Even their arrival hadn't been _this _ridiculous!_

Hi, journal. We're waiting for Triple-A to get here. First, the air conditioning on the plane doesn't work. Now cousin Harry's car breaks down? Grandpa is yelling. Grandpa is always yelling. Everyone is hot, tired, and thirsty. We also haven't eaten since we left at four in the morning, so that doesn't help any.

Triple-A just got here, and so did Great Uncle Fred with his ratty yellow van. He smells weird, and creeps me out. We have to go with him to the Wedding Rehearsal and its subsequent dinner now that Harry's car broke down. I'm getting carsick, so give me a second.

We're at the church. My step-aunt doesn't even say hello to us. I totally feel like it was worth flying across the whole fricken country. This is ridiculous. Her husband-to-be, who is apparently 10 years older than her, is acting about 12. I've seen toddlers more mature than this loser.

I'm just going to busy myself keep Rae and James occupied. Later!

- Timmy

_Timmy watched the bride make it to the front, then pulled out his journal to spare further agony._

Oh, journal. The groom's own father is wearing ridiculous costume glasses. This is a serious ceremony! If he can't even take his wedding seriously, how could anyone expect him to take life seriously? I'm not even 14 and I know there's something wrong with this wedding, so why is everyone being so supportive? Well, I guess you can't choose who other people marry. I wish them luck. I'm just excited to meet my cousins and my uncle. I've never met Uncle Victor. Dad says he lives in South America somewhere. He has three kids, and one of them is my age!

They're meeting us at the reception, which is where we're headed right now. Joseph is 14, and J.J. is eight. Since Grace is five, everyone has someone around their age to play with.

I have no siblings. Dad's been married, but he never had kids. He's been dating fairly consistantly, so I may have step-siblings some day. I probably won't have any half-siblings, though, because Dad is already 49 and not in a commited relationship.

Anyway, I'm gonna go meet my cousins. Until then, this is Timmy signing off.


	2. The Reception

Hey journal!

It's me, Timmy. My cousins seem pretty cool. J.J., the one who's 8, likes to skateboard. He's good at it apparently. He told me maybe he would teach me how. They can speak a bunch of Spanish from living down south. I can only speak what I know from school, which isn't a lot. At least I can say I know Spanish better than my dad. All he can say is his name, and that he likes cheese.

My aunt must not like us much. We ate last, and she still hasn't talked to us. I'd be thankful if someone spent a whole day flying to see me get married. She had the wedding near the groom's family, too, so we had to drive an hour to get to the wedding. She's been mingling with her friends and his family, and ignoring us completely.

My cousin Joseph helped me change their poem. Now, instead of "Come on in, stay as long as you can, we're all family, so there's no seating plan," it tells incoming guests, "Come on in, stay as long as you _will_, we're all family, so _eat our swill_." I think we're funny. Aunt Lauren told us we're naughty, but I think she likes it, too. She spoke in a teasing manner.

Everyone keeps calling me their little cousin because I'm so thin. Only one of them is older than me! But it is true that I look like a railroad track. I look a lot like my dad. In fact, a lot of people think I'm his biological son because of how similar we look. Same body shape, same facial structure, and the same Irish background. I actually look more like him then my actual biological father. He was never really a father to me, especially compared to Dad.

I wish Cattie were here. She's still my sister, even though she's not by law any more. Dad and Uncle Shawn take turns with us so we can stay together. Dad said he and Uncle Shawn have a surprise for us to make up for the time apart, but I don't think anything would make up for being apart from her. She's my best friend in the world, and the only one who understands me. I really miss her.

Joe wants to hang, so I'm gonna go for now. Bye! – Timmy

As soon as his journal was safely back in his bag, Timmy was whisked away by his cousin.

Joe's brown eyes twinkled with laughter. "Must you write down

everything_ that goes on in your life?"_

Timmy nodded emphatically. "Yes, Joey, I do. I'm writing it for my sister. She's kept a journal since we were 11, and she thought I should start one of my own, so here I am." He sighed, sadness in his blue-green eyes.

"You really miss her, don't you," Joe remarked.

Timmy nodded again, "She's been my best friend since we were four, and my sister since we were six. We celebrate our birthday together 'cause we're only 10 days apart, so it's

always_ been both of us together. We even live together!"_

"Really?"

He nodded yet again, "Dad and Uncle Shawn take turns."

"Timothy," called his dad, "Time to go! Say goodbye to your cousin. You'll see him tomorrow."

Hey journal.

I miss my quilt. It's blue, light blue, and white. My dad gave it to me as a welcome present. Grandma's mom made it for him when he was born, and he passed it down. I take it with me between Dad and Uncle Shawn's, and Cattie and I sleep under it. One of the many reasons I can't wait to get home; my quilt.

I'm tired, so I'm headed off to sleep. Goodnight, Journal.

- Timmy


	3. The Reunion

Journal, my dad is gone. Aunt Lauren and Uncle Gus are taking me and my cousins over to Uncle Victor's hotel. He needs help loading everything into his RV. He has a huge RV with two bedrooms and a shower! Dad is getting a rental car for us since, as I mentioned, the car we were supposed to ride in broke down. Grandpa and my step-grandma drove him to the rental place at the airport.

We just got to the hotel. It seems pretty nice! I wonder what my uncle does for a living…

Anyway, I'm gonna head in and help out. Write more later!

-Timmy

_Joseph answered the door. "Hey, little cousin! What's up?"_

_ "Hey, Joe." _

_"Check out my new game," he replied, pulling out a PSP._

_Timmy watched the older black-haired boy play the newest football game for a while. "Cool!"_

_"So why are you guys here?" Joe asked, shutting down the game._

_"Oh! We're here to help pack the RV," Timmy replied._

_"Well, you may need to put that down first," Joe told him, gesturing at his journal._

_Timmy shook his head, "Cattie would kill me if I didn't write down every single moment."_

_A voice from behind them commented, "Well, I wouldn't _kill_ you. Maybe maim, but not kill."_

_Timmy spun around quickly. "Cattie?"_

_"In the flesh," the girl replied._

_"What are you doing here? Not that I'm not happy you are, but why are you here?"_

_She smiled, hugging him tightly. "As it turns out, our dads planned this. Mine told me as soon as you guys were gone that he and Uncle Carlton got me a ticket so I could come to the reunion. Uncle Carlton claimed the reason is all Lassiters need to be there, and I'm a Lassiter just as much as you are a Spencer."_

_Timmy nodded. "That makes sense!"_

_"I guess that makes _you _my cousin, too," Joe added with a smile, "I'm Joe."_

_Cattie nodded happily, "Lucky for me, then, because I have no blood-related cousins I hear from. Mom's family hates me for breaking apart the family, and the closest thing Dad has to a brother is Uncle Gus. So I have Rae and James, but that's about it."_

_Joe smiled, "Well, now you have three more. J.J. and Gracie may not be that great," he began with a wink, "But we're family. End of story."_

_She smiled back. "Thanks, Joe, that means a lot to me. Oh, Timmy! I have another surprise for you," she told him, unzipping her backpack._

_"What is it?"_

_She pulled out the corner of something blue and white._

_"My quilt! Joe, this is the quilt Great-Grandma Alaina made my dad. He passed it down to me."_

_Joe smiled. "It's nice. From what I hear, he was always her favorite._

_The three laughed._

_"Joseph," someone called from outside of the room before entering. _

_"Hey, Mom."_

_"Your dad needs help packing," she told him, with a pat on the butt that seemed to mean 'Go.' "Timmy, your dad was looking for you. He needs help switching things from Dad's car into the van he rented. This must be the elusive Caitlynn I've heard so much about," she finished, turning to shake the young girl's hand. "That's an Irish name, so you _must_ be one of us. I'm Aunt Savannah."_

_Cattie smiled. "For at least this week, I'm Caitlynn Lassiter. It's nice to meet you Aunt Savannah."_

_"Let's go help Dad," Timmy suggested, grabbing her hand and leading her out._

* * *

Hey Journal! Timmy and Cattie here. We're in the car headed to the family reunion. It's at Black Lake, which is in Ogdensburg, New York.

Luckily, we both like to fish. Grandpa Henry and both of our dads take us almost every weekend.

He's Cattie's grandpa by blood, but Dad's never been that close to his real dad, and Henry's always been there for him, so Grandpa Henry told me I'm his grandson. That's even how he introduces me to people, which makes me really happy. – Timmy

I'm told my dad didn't used to like fishing, but he started to enjoy it once he started to mature. It all started around the time he shut down Psych and joined the academy, which was right after Mom took me away. He ended up going fishing with Grandpa and Uncle Carlton a lot because they were all he had, and they all kind of bonded. That made fishing very important to him, being that it gained him a better relationship with his father and a new best friend. – Cattie

Anyway, there's a _lot_ of fishing at Black Lake. We're excited about getting to eat what we catch. Grandpa taught us how to flay a fish, and the proper way to cook it on a camping stove.

Some people are going to be in RVs or tents, but we are splitting a cabin with Uncle Gus and Aunt Lauren. We're staying in Cottage #6 of the Pleasant View Cottages. It has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a huge porch, satellite TV, and air conditioning for just $795 a week. Uncle Carlton/Dad and Uncle Gus have had it reserved since they found out about all this reunion stuff. Rae and James get the bunk beds, and Timmy and I get one of the rooms with a full bed. We're on the right side rooms, and they're on the left. We all share the Kitchen and Living Room areas.

We're here and it's beautiful, so we're gonna go help unpack.

Until then, this is Cattie and Timmy signing off.

_The two kids got out and started unloading. Vincent's RV already stood parked behind the Guster/Lassiter cabin. Lauren, Carlton, and Vincent's father's car sat parked behind the one bedroom cabin he reserved next door – number 5. _

_As soon as they spotted, though, they were flooded by people claiming Carlton had shot up, and they were so sorry they missed Lauren's wedding, and it was so good to meet Mr. Guster, and you could call them Aunt This and Uncle That. Overall, it was very overwhelming for the group, but not dissimilar to the barrage of reporters during most big investigations. _

_Eventually, though, they finally got around to asking about the two thirteen-year-olds._

_"Who's this?" a woman who told everyone to call her Aunt Ellen asked._

_"This is my niece, Caitlynn, and my son, Timothy," Lassiter supplied._

_"Both wonderful names," a man wanting to be called Uncle Ethan commented._

_"Thank you, sir," Timothy replied, "My mom chose it. I was the only one she got to name. It's my great-grandpa's name, too, right?"_

_He nodded, "That man right over there."_

_Timmy nodded. "I thought so! That's why I kept it."_

_They looked at him curiously, not completely understanding, but accepting. None of his relatives outside of California knew Timmy to be anything but Carlton's biological son. He looked just like Carlton with Lauren's brown hair, after all._

_Carlton's older sister Tasha arrived with her nine-year-old son, Peter, and husband, Raul. Introductions were made, then Peter ran off with J.J. Lassiter to play._

_After politely excusing themselves from yet another conversation about them, Cattie and Timmy ran over to Great-Grandpa Timothy Lassiter._

_"I've never met _you _before," the man started as they ran up to his chair, "Are you some of my great-grandkids?"_

_They nodded. "Timothy and Caitlynn, sir."_

_"Call me Gramps, everybody else does. Your name is Timothy, you say?"_

_The boy nodded, "Just like you."_

_"Yes indeed. I'm glad to see somebody had the sense to name a kid after me."_

_Instead of explaining the whole long story of his life, Timmy just nodded, then headed off to play with Cattie._

* * *

_"Uncle Carlton, come quick!" Cattie yelled, running toward him at full speed. "Hurry! Play… fall… well…"_

_"Calm down, Cattie, I can't understand you. What's wrong?"_

_She took a deep breath, then shouted, "Timmy fell into a well!"_


	4. The Well

I have the day off from work, so WOO!

* * *

_Carlton swore. "Who didn't cover the well?"_

_All eyes looked at Aunt Aileen, a 97-year-old woman who apologized in a heavy Irish accent._

_Cattie shrugged and ran off toward the well._

_Lassiter rolled his eyes, running after his neice._

* * *

Hey journal

I fell into a well. Uncle Shawn is never gonna let Dad live this down. The worst part is I can hear things down here with me. The best part is, this is no longer a working well. Otherwise, you would probably be ruined. I keep you in my back pocket, and I landed on my butt. Also, I think I broke my left arm on the way down. It's killing me. It may be dark in here, but I can still see it's not supposed to bend that way. I fell backwards into the well while my cousins and I were playing football, and I hit my arm pretty hard on something. Judging by it's gray color and it's texture, I'm guessing it was part of the rock wall of the well.

Cattie said she would go get help, so I hope she gets here soon. It's not a huge deal, I just don't like small furry things. Blame it on my dad, I guess. We shoot squirrels on a regular basis. I'm pretty good at it, too. Shooting, I mean. Dad's been taking me to the shooting range since I turned 12. Shooting a B.B. gun is _way_ easier. Uncle Shawn and Dad have competitions at the shooting range when one or both is not swamped in paperwork or very into a case.

My dad still works cases sometimes. Uncle Shawn is his head detective, and has no partner because Dad is his unofficial partner. They work together to raise me and Cattie, and live right next to each other, so why wouldn't they work together at work? Literally, we live in 17a and Uncle Shawn and Cattie live in apartments are sold as shared-house style apartments because we all share a living room and a kitchen. Cattie and I just decide which side we want to sleep on, and Dad and Uncle Shawn take turns making dinner and getting us settled depending on our choice of side. So technically, we "switch houses" on a regular basis.

Really, though, we generally all sit together and have a family dinner as much as possible. Even Grandpa Henry comes over sometimes, and Grandma and her girlfriend Althea come to visit less often. I know I've probably mentioned it, but it's funny to think that Dad and Uncle Shawn ever didn't get along. They just get along so well! Dinner is usually my favorite part of the day, because Cattie and I get to help out on cases. Luckily, we both have strong stomachs. People are always dying in Santa Barbara, and it's not usually pretty.

All in all, it's like I have two awesome dads without them actually being gay. They are very close, though. Like brothers! Uncle Gus, too. Juliet hurt all of them a lot, and that drove them all closer together. We all have family get togethers as much as possible. Sometimes, Cattie and I spend the night over at Uncle Gus and Aunt Lauren's house to watch Rae and James so they can go out. They live just down the street, so we can just take our bikes. They have a pretty big house because Uncle Gus is a physician's assistant. He went all the way through med school, but he decided not to be a doctor when he kept throwing up and fainting during his residency. Blood and Uncle Gus don't mix well. Aunt Lauren is a proffessional photographer and a filmmaker. She even got a film into the Sundance festival last year! We all went to see it and show our support. She didn't win, but Dad and Uncle Shawn treated her to dinner all the same.

Soemtimes, Detective McNab comes over with his wife. He adopted our half-sister Melody, who's eight. He has three other kids, too; Lacey - 14, and Carlton and Shawn who are three. He named his boys after Dad and Uncle Shawn because he looks up to and respects them. Cattie and I babysit for them, too, sometimes if Lacey is busy. We babysit for anyone around teh station that needs it.

Mrs. Vick is probably the only one we know pretty well that we don't babysit for, and that's because her kids aren't little. Iris is 22, Michael is 15, and Max is almost 13.

I'm rambiling, aren't I? I'm sorry, I just haven't had anything else to do while trapped in a well.

_"Timmy?"_

Horray! Bye for now! - Timmy

_"Dad?"_

_"Timmy, hop in the bucket if you can and hold on to the rope," Lassiter called down. "He sounds okay, Shawn," he spoke into the phone he held._

_Timmy did as he was told to the best of his ability, and soon found himself above ground._

_"Daddy," he breathed in relief, using the version of 'dad'he only used when seeking comfort._

_"Are you okay, Timmy?" Cattie asked._

_"My arm hurts really bad," he replied, trying and failing to stand up, "And I think I sprained my ankle."_

_Carlton lifted his son, and carried him over to Gus. Breaks and sprains happened to be Gus's specialty. _

_After checking him over, Gus determined that he did, indeed, have either a break or a sprain in both his right ankle and left arm. He then offered to drive to the nearest hospital so that Carlton could keep Timmy steady and in the least pain possible for the bumpy ride._

_Upon reaching the hospital, they found out that Timmy had broken his arm, and sustained a hairline fracture in his ankle. After two casts and a pair of crutches, they discharged the boy to Lassiter's capable hands, and the group proceeded back to the campsite._

* * *

The house: go to i211 and a dot and photobucket and dot and com then albums/cc429/alisecrit/psych/home-1. jpg

Just an epilouge left. Kinda makes me sad, but I accomplished what I wanted to with this story.


	5. The Epilogue

The resilient young teen managed to make it through the rest of the outdoor trip without much incedence, despite the trouble that came with navigating the rough terrain on one crutch. He still managed to fish, and he still managed to participate relatively well in the reunion games.

When it came time to go, Lassiter escorted them into the airport. The Gusters had gone home on an early flight, so it was just the three of them this trip. The heavy crutches were left with Lassiter's father, as they didn't want to figure out how to get them through the airport. Despite his protests, Timothy found himself being carried through the airport by his father. Carlton showed his badge to bypass the usual search conducted on people in a cast, and also to avoid taking his own shoes off.

When they reached the gate, they sat down to wait for boarding. Knowing Shawn, he would probably use his badge to be waiting for them at the gate. It wouldn't surprise Carlton one bit of he had left Detective McNab in charge for a time to go meet them at the airport.

When boarding time came, Cattie presented their tickets while Carlton helped with the bags and Timmy.

Upon landing and getting off the plane, Carlton discovered he had been correct, and Shawn stood waiting for them, badge still out.

"Why Timothy Lassiter, you seem to have gotten yourself into quite a pickle."

"Actually, Uncle Shawn, it was a well," Timmy replied.

"Well, I may have something to fix that." He pulled out a cart with a cushion and handlebars, knowing his nephew wouldn't want to sit around in a wheelchair. "You control it yourself."

"Thanks, Uncle Shawn," Timmy told him.

"Let's go home, kid," Shawn responded. "I made dinner." He turned to Carlton, "Welcome home, buddy. The house was lonely without you."

"It's good to _be_ home," Carlton responded, smiling. "And I suppose I missed you too, Spencer. But don't ever expect me to repeat that."

Shawn smiled. "I wouldn't expect you to. So you really did have to rescue Timmy from a well." He laughed. "You know I'm never gonna let you live this down, right?"

Lassiter nodded, "I know. Now let's get home."

Shawn smiled, holding out the keys, "You drive."


End file.
